Picking or throwing seems to be a big issue with knitters. I learned 'throwing' as a child and knitted a few sweaters but preferred crochet at the time. In 1971 I moved with my husband to Iceland (with U.S. Navy) and found out there was an Icelandic Lopi Yarn factory in the next town. They sold the yarn in bags, practically giving it away. We took it home, rolled it into balls, and knitted those wonderful intarsia patterns (we called them Icelandic Sweaters) in shades of brown and gray.
My first sweater was knitted very tightly and had no comforting 'stretch'. My friend met an Icelandic girl who told us we needed to learn 'Icelandic knitting', that the yarn was not plied, so had no natural 'give' and we had to knit the 'give' into the garment using the method she would teach us. This method was the 'picking' method of knitting.
Since I know how to do both types of knitting, I have taken to switching back and forth at random. Right now, picking is faster, but throwing I can do without looking. Throwing makes my shoulder and arm ache a bit, but picking can make my hand stiff. So I switch back and forth, sometimes in the middle of the row! I find I absolutely cannot begin a row with the picking method. And I cannot do any 'patterns' with that method either. Also, my picking is not as smooth as throwing, so if the stitches show, as in cotton yarn, it has to be all throwing.
I am working with some Caron Simply Soft acrylic yarn making a shrug, and those stitches don't show at all, so am working on being able to pick without looking....just by feel. I am always looking for a new challenge.
The purpose of this essay is to encourage all knitters to learn both ways to knit. Also, learn combined knitting (which I understand, I think, from Knitting in Plain English, is really Continental knitting....European is the complicated purl stitch that makes a knit stitch with the front 'leg' forward, Continental purl is easier but that back 'leg' is forward. I like the Continental purl better but hate digging into that back leg on the knit stitch.
Which are you, a Thrower or a Picker? And which kind of Picker, Continental or English?
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2 comments:
Um, neither? I'm an English Flicker.
Hey Nan,
I learned both ways, too. Taught myself the right hand carry (throwing), and then took lessons with an instructor who absolutely insisted on Continental (picking, left hand carry). Lucky me - it makes Fair Isle not very daunting.
I was surprised to read that you can throw without looking, but not pick. I mostly do a left hand carry (though I would hesitate to describe my method as a "pick"), and have never been able to knit without looking. For an experiment recently (I'm into experimenting these days), I decided to try throwing without looking - piece of cake!
Now I'm trying to knit backwards using both methods. I'm finding my throw works better for that, too.
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